Hazel Dorothy Campbell, Jamaican; retired; author of adult and children's stories; fiction editor. I started writing stories for adults then switched to writing for children, and I like the instant publishing which Kindle affords. Now, I write for both children and adults, following my muse wherever she leads me.
When I am not a writer, I am a very nice person. I am a caring mother and grandmother. I am a good friend, even if choosy. I care about injustice and the underdog and the environment and I love the Lord.
But when I am a writer, strange things happen to my persona. I go down roads with people I want to fight, physically. I follow paths of unrighteousness. Sometimes I hear laughter but too often there is sadness. I am brave, I am cowardly, I am a conqueror, I lose battles and I don't care.
I didn’t realize this until I started analyzing some of my stories, even the ones for children.
In Whinti and Bondi the Pirate Genie, Whitni is not taking any lip from the Genie.
In It's Just a Play Sasha, she is afraid, she knows why and don't bother try to tell her she is foolish.
Ricky in Rocky Road has a high pain threshold. He doesn’t feel pain like ordinary people do. In Book 2 this becomes the key to his anti-establishment 'heroism'.
You can laugh at Darty, one of the three/four Jamaican Musketeers all you want, but he doesn’t care. He knows he is a hero.
It gets even worse in the stories for adults. If you read Jacob Bubbles in Singerman published by Peepal Tree Press, you will understand what I mean.
I am all these characters and more, when I am a writer.
Read entries on my blog at http://hazeldeebooks.blogspot.com/ where, among other things, I talk about how the stories came to be written.
I have eight children's titles published in Jamaica by LMH Publishing and Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Ltd. These are not all available on Amazon. My blog for the children's book writing is at http://jambooks-fiction.blogspot.com/
I like the short story form. Several of my stories both for adults and children have been published in various anthologies. I now also have a novel My Three Moms in the YA to NA category. www.amazon.com/My-Three-Moms-Hazel-Campbell-ebook/dp/B00UMAA300/
My short story, Devil Star, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2012. Published in Let's Tell This Story Properly: An Anthology of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. www.amazon.com/Lets-Tell-This-Story-Properly-ebook/dp/B00NY3UGRM/
E-BOOKS
My Darling You short story collection (6 stories) www.amazon.com/My-Darling-YOU-love-stories-ebook/dp/B007U78HEC/
When Times Are Strange, a collection of six stories from Jamaica is at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EEAWWCG, and Mr King's Daughter a modern Jamaican folk tale at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ESEWI6I.
Stories for younger children (grades 4-6) Shiny is Missing is at www.amazon.com/Shiney-Missing-Porty-Jamaican-Musketeers-ebook/dp/B00QWFM4F6/
It's Just a Play, Sasha is at www.amazon.com/Just-Play-Sasha-Hazel-Campbell-ebook/dp/B0155JHSXM
Whitni and Bondi, the Pirate Genie at https://www.amazon.com/Whitni-Bondi-Pirate-Genie-Campbell-ebook/dp/B01DEC2EXG
Recently added The Painting,and the Rag Doll, stories for adults For me writing is pure fun. I hope you have fun reading my stories.
I am very pleased than my granddaughter illustrated the covers for three of my ebooks. I would love to know what you think of these books. Take a look inside and buy a copy, and write a review. Thanks for your support.